A clever girl from a poor neighbourhood finds school frustrating and tries to hide her intelligence from her classmates. When she competes in a school spelling competition, she is surprised to win and with the aid of a strict coach, sets out to compete in a national tournament and provide her community with something to rally round. Drama, starring Keke Palmer, Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett.

11-year-old Akeelah Anderson has a way with words. After winning her schoolwide spelling bee, she decides to enter the competition, despite her classmates' derision and the antipathy of her mother Tanya. Thanks to the efforts of her teacher Dr. Larabee, she reaches the finals. As she gets to know her fellow competitors, Akeelah realizes that coming first isn't everything in life.